Exit polls are charade, says Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad, May 14 (IANS) With exit polls showing an edge to the Congress both in Andhra Pradesh and at the party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the centre, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu Thursday said the poll predictions by media are charade. “While conducting such surveys, they take only a few samples in some constituencies. They are not done in a scientific way and do not reflect the overall situation,” said Naidu.

The TDP chief claimed that his party had done surveys in a scientific manner, which show that “Mahakutami” will form the government in the state.

“Mahakutami” is the grand alliance of opposition parties led by the TDP. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) are the other constituents of the alliance.

Naidu also exuded confidence that the Left-led Third Front would form the government at the centre. He said a meeting of Third Front leaders would be held in Delhi after the counting of votes Saturday.

“Talks are already on with the parties with whom we have worked in the past,” he said.

The exit polls by TV channels show the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) having an upper hand though falling short of majority to form the government at the centre.

Majority of the surveys have forecast that the Congress would win a big chunk of the Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha seats.

According to NDTV, the Congress will win 28 of the 42 seats in the state while Headlines Today has put this at 22.

Star News forecast 23 seats for the Congress, which had won 29 seats in the 2004 polls.

The exit polls by majority of the local or Telugu television channels show that the TDP-led alliance has an edge in Andhra Pradesh assembly elections.

According to I-News and Mahaa channels, the alliance could get 140-150 seats in the 294-member assembly. They forecast that the Congress may get 85-105 seats and the Praja Rajyam of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi 40 to 60 seats.

However, the exit poll by Sakshi channel owned by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, show that the Congress would retain the power with a comfortable majority.

It forecast 181 seats for the Congress, 64 seats for “Mahakutami” and 12 for the Praja Rajyam. The channel left out 25 seats saying they were too close to call.